UAE expands its field hospital in Balakot

posted on 26/10/2005: 690 views

Islamabad - The UAE has decided to expand its Field Hospital in the quake-hit city of Balakot, UAE envoy to Pakistan has said.” Seventy more beds will be added to the 100-bed hospital. For this purpose adequate number of doctors, nurses and paramedical staff reached Islamabad in a chartered flight Monday evening+, UAE ambassador to Pakistan Ali Mohammad Al Shamsi told the Pakistani daily "The News".

He added that a UAE delegation would visit Pakistani to finalise recommendations on emergency reconstruction of quake-hit areas. "We are still waiting for the orders from our government. My government is constituting the UAE delegation for Pakistan. It will come soon. The delegation will finalize its recommendation for the emergency construction work to be undertaken with UAE funds,” he said.

Meanwhile Minister for Interior Aftab Khan Sherpao visited the hospital. The head of the medical team Dr Mohammad Sabil al Anhani said that the field hospital is daily receiving 550 to 600 injured persons mostly women and children, 20 per cent are suffering from bone fractures. The outdoor clinic has so far treated 5,200 patients in eleven days. A tent village has also been erected adjacent to the field hospital to keep the injured receiving first aid under observation for a couple of days.

Dr Danhai disclosed that 70 tetanus cases were discovered in the affected areas and several cases were also reported to his hospital. Twenty children were infected with measles, he added. Six mobile units are moving daily to nearest location to the inaccessible remote villages to give first aid to survivors and distribute relief good among them.

The UAE ambassador said that several persons who were rescued from the earthquake hit area of Balakot and sent to UAE for treatment, returned Monday night on board a special ambulance aircraft C-130 after being operated upon for leg fractures at Zayed Military hospital in Abu Dhabi.

The patients Mohammad Mushtaq and Tasleem Bibi escorted by relatives and a doctor appeared healthy and confident. They were welcomed by the Director General of foreign affairs Mohammad Younis Khan and the Consul at the Embassy of UAE Abdullah Al Mansouri. (The Emirates News Agency, WAM)